Bighead River watershed, located in Grey County and including parts of:
townships of Sydenham, Holland, Euphrasia, St. Vincent, and the town of
Meaford

Description:

The Bighead River watershed is predominantly agricultural and subject
to considerable spring runoff. To address related concerns about water quality
for humans, livestock and wildlife, this project will feature approaches
such as:

exclusion fencing for livestock near streams

alternate watering facilities, stream crossings

riparian areas - tree planting, bank stabilization

fisheries rehabilitation

wetland and floodplain enhancement

soil conservation.

Participants: GREY COUNTY SOIL AND CROP IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION
with partners:

Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs; Grey Sauble
Conservation Authority; Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources; Ontario Ministry
of Environment and Energy; municipal councils in townships of St. Vincent,
Sydenham, Euphrasia and Holland; town of Meaford; local farmers and landowners

The Carolinian zone of southwestern Ontario is subject to competing interests
of agriculture and wildlife. To build new partnerships among farmers, naturalists
and conservation authorities, sites will demonstrate: native species revegetation
techniques applied to woodlot and wetland edges, natural corridors,streams
and fencerows methods to address potential conflicts between agriculture
and wildlife habitat.

Participants: FEDERATION OF ONTARIO NATURALISTS with partners:

Long Point Region Conservation Authority; Hamilton Region Conservation
Authority; Long Point Bird Observatory; Centre for Land and Water Stewardship;
local farmers and landowners

Natural heritage areas in this watershed have been fragmented by agriculture
and other land uses. This project aims at establishing vegetation links
and protection and enhancement of wetlands, woodlots and streams, in ways
consistent with economically sustainable agriculture. Using an ecosystems
approach, the project's main components will be:

James Berry drain and Cranberry Creek municipal drain in Haldimand-Norfolk
Region South Branch of South Nation River municipal drain in Dundas County
Halls Creek in Oxford County

Description:

Three sites will demonstrate and explore new ways of managing agriculture
drains to accommodate needs of fish and wildlife through:

bioengineering techniques,

natural channel design,

buffer strip development,

retention ponds, and

sediment traps.

These techniques help to create a reliable outlet for farmland, protect
against erosion, improve water quality, offer improved habitat for fish
and wildlife and help to resolve conflicts between agriculture and wildlife
habitat monitoring of previous and new works under the Drainage Act and
Fisheries Act will help determine cost-effectiveness.

Norfolk Township; South Nation River Conservation Authority; Upper Thames
River Conservation Authority; Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources; Ontario
Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Drainage Superintendents
Association of Ontario; Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada; Canadian Wildlife
Service; Long Point Region Conservation Authority; Long Point Bird Observatory;
Long Point Waterfowl and Wetlands Research Fund; local farmers and landowners

conservation farming, which uses a range of cropland management practices
that benefit both agriculture and wildlife - under Ontario Land CARE (Conservation
of Agriculture, Resources and Environment)

native species plantings, which demonstrate the value of native species
for wildlife cover and forage crops, as well as the viability of commercial
seed production that could provide specialty crop income for landowners

alternative forage sites for geese so that management practices that
reduce crop damage on uplands directly associated with wetlands can be
evaluated.

Participants: DUCKS UNLIMITED with partners:

Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs; local farmers
and landowners